Journalist. Mother. Bunny enthusiast. Pop culture junkie.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Zabriskie Point

It has been a long time since a film or a book has really made me think.

When I picked up Zabriskie Point from the library this weekend, I wasn't expecting anything special to happen. In fact, when I watched the film, nothing did. I thought the film was kind of boring, a little too preachy, and way too abstract.

But for the past two days, I can't get this film out of my head. Images from it haunt me and the more I analyze the film, the more it makes sense.

Zabriskie Point is a film, by Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, which paints the landscape of 1960s America. It follows two 20-something Americans as their lives cross in an unexpected way.

Mark Frechette plays the sexy rebel-without-a-cause Mark, a college dropout who gets caught up in the radical movement of 1960s young America. Daria Halprin plays the sweet college student Daria who works part-time for a property developer building subdivisions in the California desert. Their lives intersect during a road trip to Phoenix.

I don't want to give too much of the film away. But it's a film that deals with the same problems America is facing today:

-Youth who are tired of feeling powerless
-Authority figures who abuse power
-Corporations inflicting culture
-Unhappiness derived from everything and yet nothing

The film was so radical for its time (there is a dusty orgy scene that takes place in a desert, along with several liberal themes) that production was continuously harassed by right-wing groups and the FBI.

Unfortunately, the film was so abstract and political, it ended up being a box office failure when it hit movie theaters in 1970. But it has since become a cult classic.

And I think many viewers of this film have the same reaction as me. Images of despair and uncertainty linger at the edge of memory. Visions of love and hate intertwine.

What I found even more fascinating was the real-life story of the two young actors themselves.

Mark and Daria fell in love during the filming of Zabriskie Point and after filming, they moved to a commune near Boston. In 1973, Mark and a few of his fellow cult members robbed a bank near the commune and were caught. To shed light on how similar Mark was to his Zabriskie Point character, here is his explanation for the bank robbery: "It would be like a direct attack on everything that is choking this country to death." In 1975, however, Mark died in prison during a freak weight-lifting accident.

Daria, on the other hand, went on to marry actor Dennis Hopper and co-founded a dance therapy institute with her mother.

I highly recommend this film to everyone. Love it or hate it, the message is clear: The world needs to change.

Wow, I was hooked while reading this post. I can't believe he died like that?! That's nuts. Not that this has anything to do with this movie, but I just watched Precious and haven't stopped thinking about it either.. i hate when that happens to me!

I love rebellious movies like this!! He actually robbed a bank??!!! Geez. Well that's definitely a way to get yourself known. I'm always in the library I'll see if I can find it. Btw the girl totally looks like you in the picture where she is on top of Mark's shoulders. I think its her long hair!!

I find it interesting how history repeats itself, or rather, the story remains the same passed down through subsequent generations. So much commonality in themes: youth is misunderstood, Corporate America is infringing on people's freedom, and there will always be those who want to 'stick it to the man'.

Sounds like a good movie Jen; it's often smaller productions off the mainstream that carry the strongest message.

The imagery alone has me intrigued... I'll admit I have the most awful taste in movies (as in, loves movies with cheerleaders and ninjas that are dumb but entertaining) but definitely something to think about!

oh wow...thank you for sharing this. i had never heard of this film and now i can't wait to check it out. the plot somehow reminds me of the book Sophie's Choice. The characters seem to suffer from existential meaninglessness and want to add some real meaning to their lives anyhow.